the LoneDogs of Scrabble

The LoneDogs of Scrabble focuses on friendship and family, individuality and diversity Uniquely, however, the book has two distinct narrative voices – human and canine, both of which continuously evolve. The human voice spotlights three young teens, loners by choice, who gravitate to each other's creativity and bond in friendship. The canine voice interprets human realities entirely through the dogs' eyes (and nose), absent of all human constructs. The plot intertwines three exceptional teens with their families and the canine world that interconnects early on in the book. Jonas and his aunt are looking to rescue a dog from a kill shelter. The dog narrative begins in a "pound" where a stray dog picks up whether the new human will give him a name and refuge, hunt his food, and in the best of worlds, become his Alpha protector. The human story begins with Jonas, a highly creative thirteen-year-old, who aspires to be a writer and overtly asserts his own style. In school he meets Roy, a sharp-tongued teen from Oklahoma with an acerbic disdain for the immaturity of his classmates. Quick-paced dialogue showcases the likeable characters that keep the pages turning: The overall elegance of Redwood's writing style is ingeniously illuminated by a "shifting viewpoint narrative," where the voice of the human and canine narratives change with the character in focus.

The LoneDogs of Scrabble (A Canine TreeLeg Chorus) flaunts a kaleidoscopic diversity of style that immediately captivates its reader through. Early on in the book it becomes clear that dogs are sentient beings and protagonists whose narrative is threaded and woven throughout the book, intersecting with the human narrative seamlessly. There is a curious balance between complex human relationships and a clever levity that allures us into the canine world. Dogs marvel at humans' capacity to bring them food without hunting for it, to fly in their "shells" (cars) together, and to continue removing all their good smells with their "Scent stealers." (vacuum cleaners). The canine voice interprets human realities entirely through the dogs' eyes (and nose), absent of all human constructs. This is further evidenced by usage of the word "TreeLeg" in the subtitle, one of several words used to characterize a human, foretelling the unique canine voice. Included in the rear of the book is a Dog Dictionary to define the dogs' voice and their perspective on life with humans, although words become mostly understandable in context. The dog narrative begins with Jonas and his aunt Jonas and his aunt looking to rescue a dog from a kill shelter. One stray in the pound smells the "footskins" (shoes) of one young male, and conjectures whether the new humans, will give him a name and refuge, hunt his food, and in the best of worlds, become his Alpha protector. The human story begins with Jonas, a highly creative thirteen-year-old, who aspires to be a writer and overtly asserts his own style. In school he meets Roy, a sharp-tongued teen from Oklahoma with an acerbic disdain for the immaturity of his classmates, in quick-paced dialogue. Redwood deftly incorporates a "shifting viewpoint narrative," where the voice of the human and canine narratives change with the character in focus. Themes are neatly referenced by folksy sayings at the beginning of each chapter and ending with a pithy tie-up. The LoneDogs of Scrabble has already reached a wide appreciative audience of young adults, seniors, and dog /animal lovers. Indeed, it is a tour de force of creativity, and decidedly an upbeat and adventurous novel for multi-generational audiences. And the likeable characters course readers through a gamut of emotions, keeping the pages turning!

Erick Redwood (M.Ed., Counseling Psychology) demonstrates considerable versatility in his writing style and experience. Additional to being commissioned to write numerous computer software reviews for two nationally distributed magazines (PC Novice /PC Today), he has authored multiple articles on teaching dogs through trust, freedom of movement and voice tones (The Shuttle). As a ghost writer, he penned numerous letters ranging from personally gridlocked relationships to business and consumer advocacy. In Education, he has worked as a secondary school teacher of English and computer literacy. Also, he has done relationship counseling and facilitated numerous growth/sensitivity groups. Currently he is retired with his three-pack of dogs.